The characters in children’s books are some of the luckiest folks around. They survive situations that would leave adults shell-shocked, and do so with their optimism intact. In the real world they’d be goners, but between the covers of a book, they’re invincible.

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, four-leaf clovers, leprechauns, and rainbows, here are a few of the luckiest characters in children’s literature.

This bird falls out of his nest (on an empty stomach, no less), encounters potentially dangerous animals and extremely large machines, yet still manages to make it back home in one piece, and in time for his first meal. He’s lucky that Snorts are so gentle.

By all rights, Harry Potter never should have survived infancy, and he has the scar to prove it. His fortuitous survival set the stage for his years at Hogwarts when he faced archenemies, multiple near death experiences, and accidents both in and out of the classroom. This is the guy you want with you when things get ugly.

Destined for the slaughterhouse, this runt of the litter was one fortunate pig. He was rescued first by Fern Arable, a little girl with a big heart, and then by Charlotte, a spider with a big vocabulary. These two compassionate souls actually did save Wilbur’s bacon.

Minding his own business on the beach one day, Jeremy Jacob suddenly meets a pirate captain and his crew and gets to go on a fantastic adventure. Nothing like that ever happened to me when I was building sand castles. The fact that he makes it home before his parents notice he’s gone, however, is what makes him the luckiest boy ever.

Sure he lives in squalor, but Charlie’s luck changes the day he discovers a golden ticket granting him admission to Willy Wonka’s magical and mysterious chocolate factory. Things only get better from there.

From farmboy to pirate captive to Dread Pirate Roberts to gallant hero, Westley’s life is challenging, but charmed. The fact that he finds true love in the end? Well, that’s worth more than a pot of gold.

A bear who can get stuck in a friend’s doorway, outrun a swarm of angry bees, and sail an umbrella to rescue a friend without suffering a single injury is a lucky bear indeed. He may be a bear of very little brain, but Winnie-the-Pooh is a bear of very good fortune.